Workpiece-shifting means for use with forging presses



Aug. 12, 1958 K. LICHTENFELD 2,846,905

- WORKPIECE-SHIFTING MEANS FOR USE WITH FORGING PRESSES Filed Oct. 21.1954 ATTORNEY i if ied States Pate e WQRKPIECE-SHIFTING MEANS FOR USEWITH FQRGING PRESSES Karl Lichtenfeld, Neurnark-Geiseltal, Germany,assignor to Veb Leuna-Werke Walter Ulbricht, Leuna (Kreis Merseburg),Germany This invention relates to forging presses, and more particularlyto a device for turning the work in a forging press.

The turning over of the work is necessary for obtaining a satisfactoryforging of the work. Works or forgings of small size may be readilyturned over by hand. Works or forgings of large size, however, must beturned over by means of mechanical devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for the turning overof forgings in a forging press which may be readily manufactured at lowcosts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the turningover of forgings in a forging press which does not obstruct freedom ofmanipulation on the forging press.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the turningover of forgings in a forging press which does not require a largeadditional space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the turningover of forgings in a forging press which does not comprise a delicatemechanism and, therefore, is reliable in operation under the rough anddusty conditions of a forge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the turningover of forgings in a forging press by means of which the output of aforging pressmay be considerably increased without major changes in theconstruction of the forging press and without the necessity of procuringnew equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide'a device for turning overforgings in a forging press which does not require special drivingdevices or motors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for turningover forgings in a forging press which may be readily manufactured. inthe forge itself from means available to the forge and the maintenancewhereof can be readily carried out by the management of the forge.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a forging .press equipped with aturning device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the forging press and turningdevice shown in Fig. 1, and A,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View, on an enlarged scale, of a portionof the turning device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 generally indicates the support ofthe forging press. The cross-head I carrying the so-called top swage 2is reciprocably mounted on said support 10. A work 4 to be forged, forexample a shaft, rests on the bottom swage or anvil 3. The free end ofthe Work 4 is suspended from the hook 11 of a forge crane (not shown) bymeans of an endless chain 8.

- The turning device according to the invention comprises two pairs ofchains or like flexible carrier means and 5a, each pair of chains beingsuspended from the cross-head 1 of the forging press by means of hooks12 and 12a respectively loosely engaged with said cross-head means of amovable carriage (not shown).

1 and connected with one end of the chains. The other end of each chain5 and of each chain 5a respectively is connected with a shackle 6 or 6arespectively. Each shackle 6 or 6a is in the shape of a bar having aplurality of inclined notches 13 and 13a respectively.

A first cross-bar or rigid beam 7 carrying pins 9 and 9a at its ends isassociated with right hand set (as viewed in Fig. 2) of shackles 6 (6a)and a second cross-bar or rigid beam 7, likewise carrying pins 9 (9a) atits ends, is associated with the left hand set (as viewed in Fig. 2) ofshackles 6 (6a).

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the portion 14 of the upper edge of thecross-bar 7 (and of course also of the cross-bar 7') is serrated orroughened in any suitable manner. The pins 9 and 9a of the cross-bars 7and 7 may be engaged with selected notches 13 and 13a of the shackles,so that the cross-bars are carried by the shackles 6 and 6a in apredetermined inclined position. The variout notches 13, 13a cooperatingwith the pins 9a permit an adjustment of the cross-bars 7, 7' at apredetermined height in dependence on the diameter of the work 4 and inan inclined position at a predetermined angle to the horizontal plane.

The operation of the device is as follows:

After the work has been taken out from the heating furnace by suitablemeans, it is run up under the press by The movable cross-head 1 carryingthe top swage 2 is lowered to such an extent that the work is tightlygripped. Then the two cross-bars 7 and 7 are engaged with notches 13,13a of the shackles 6, 6a by means of their pins 9, 9a. Now, when thecross-head 1 is raised, the two cross-bars 7, 7' will lift the work 4.By shifting the carriage in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 2) or bydrawing the cross-bars 7, 7' in the direction of the longitudinal axisof the work 4, that section of the latter which is to be forged can bebrought into register with the anvil 3. Then, the cross-head 1 islowered and the first forging stroke is made. During the forging, thecross-bars 7, 7 are suspended freely under the work 4. Then, theoperator displaces the inclined cross-bars 7, 7 sidewise from theirnormal freely suspended position, substantially in the direction oftheir longitudinal axes, into the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein theleft hand chain 5 is somewhat inclined to the vertical line and theserrated edge 14 of the cross bar 7 is engaged with the work 4. Thislateral displacement of the cross-bars 7, 7' may be readily carried out.manually by means of a rod or tube 15 (see Fig. 1) having a length ofapproximately 3 meters. For this purpose the rod 15 is pushed in thedirection of the arrow A. Thus, upon a subsequent lifting of thecrosshead 1 the upper edges of the cross-bars 7, 7 cause a lifting ofthe work 4 and owing to the inclined position of the chains 5, 5a and ofthe cross-bars '7, 7 the work 4 is simultaneously turned around itslongitudinal axis in the direction of the arrow B. The more thecross-bars 7, 7 are laterally displaced from their normal position, thegreater the angle of turn, which may amount to as much as 360. However,for normal forging operations turning angles up to at most 60 sufiice,so that small displacements of the cross-bars 7, 7 suffice to turn thework 4.

The turning device according to the invention affords still furtheradvantages. Thus it may be employed to forge long shafts. For thispurpose the center portion of the block to be forged is first reduced tothe desired diameter. During this operation the work is turned about itslongitudinal axis, and gradually shifted axially of itself. For thispurpose, the cross-bar arranged at the side of this end is pulledoutwardly, away from the anvil, by means of a hook. Now, when thecross-head is raised, the cross-bar hanging in an outwardly-inclineddirection drags the work in the desired direction. This Patented Aug.12, 1958- shifting of the work in the direction of the arrow C isassisted by an appropriate travel of the crane holding the long free endof the work in the endless chain 8.

The turning of the work is assured by the serrated or roughened portion14 of the crossbars 7, 7'. When the teeth of the serrations are rathersmall it is also possible to turn materials of square, hexagonal orother polygonal cross-sections, since the small teeth will securelyengage the material in any position. The inclination of the cross-bars,depending on the desired angle of rotation, is between 10 and 25.

I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it isunderstood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration andthat various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangementsof parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those,herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, instead of two pairs of chains, each pair carrying across-bar at each side of the anvil, only one pair of chains carrying asingle cross-bar could be arranged at one side of the anvil.

What I claim is:

1. A workpiece-displacing device for use in connection with a forgingpress, comprising a vertically reciprocable element, means for mountingsaid element for vertical reciprocation, means for supporting saidwork-piece, beam mounting means, rigid beam means arranged below saidwork piece and connected to said beam mounting means to position saidbeam means at an angle to the horizontal, and means connecting said beammounting means and said element to support said beam from saidreciprocable element, whereby raising of said element brings said beaminto contact with the work piece to lift the latter and displace it topresenta different surface portion to said reciprocable element.

2. A workpiece-displacing device for use in connection with a forgingpress or the like, comprising a ver tically reciprocable element, meansfor mounting said element for vertical reciprocation, work-piecesupporting means, a rigid beam, and means to support said beam from saidreciprocable element below said work piece and at an angle to thehorizontal, whereby raising of said element brings said beam intocontact with the work piece to lift said work piece and rotatablydisplace the same.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising cooperable means onboth said beam means and said mounting means for adjusting theinclination of said beam means relative to the horizontal, whereby theex tent of displacement of said workpiece on said beam means may bevaried.

4. A device according to claim 2, said beams means being roughened atthe part thereof engageable with said workpiece, whereby slippage of thelatter on said beam means is substantially inhibited.

5. A device according to claim 4, said beam means comprising at leastone elongated rigid beam, said mounting means comprising a pair ofshackles connected to said beam at respective locations spaced from oneanother longitudinally of said beam, and said carrier means comprising apair of chains connected to said shackles, respectively.

6. A device according to claim 5, further comprising cooperable means onboth said beam and said shackles for adjusting the inclination of saidbeam relative to the horizontal, said cooperable means comprising atleast two pins extending laterally from said beam at said spacedlocations, respectively, and a plurality of slots provided in each ofsaid shackles for selectively receiving said pins, whereby the extent ofdisplacement of said workpiece during each lifting thereof by said beamis predetermined.

7. A device usable in connection with the reciprocally movable ram meansof a forging press for rotating an elongated round workpiece and forshifting the same longitudinally of itself, comprising rigid beam meansadapted for location below said workpiece and engageable with the latterfrom below the same, mounting means supporting said beam means so as todispose the workpiece-engaging part of the latter obliquely with respectto the horizontal, and flexible carrier means supporting said mountingmeans for displacement thereof and thus of said beam means from a normalposition substantially transversely to and longitudinally of saidworkpiece and constructed for vertical reciprocal movement in responseto operation of said ram means, to thereby raise and lower said mountingmeans and bring said beam means into and out of lifting engagement withsaid workpiece, respectively, upon movement of said ram means out of andinto forging relation to said workpiece, whereby said workpiece whenlifted by said beam means upon displacement of the latter transverselyto said workpiece is enabled to rotate relative to and on said beammeans dining return thereof to said normal position, While upondisplacement of said beam means longitudinally of said workpiece, thelatter when lifted by said beam means is displaced longitudinally ofitself during return of said beam means to said normal position thereof.

8. A device according to claim 7, further comprising cooperable pin andslot means on said beam means and said mounting means for adjusting thedegree of obliquity of said beam means relative to the horizontal,

whereby the extent of rotation of said workpiece during each liftingthereof by said beam means upon transverse displacement of the latter ispredetermined.

9. A device according to claim 8, said beam means being serrated at thepart thereof engageable with said workpiece, whereby slippage of thelatter on said beam means is substantially inhibited.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS532,488 Simpson Jan. 15, 1895 617,051 Sawyer Jan. 3, 1899 752,218Galloway, .Tr Feb. 16, 1904 1,793,938 Kuhlemeier, et al. Feb. 24, 19311,876,290 Hanna Sept. 6, 1932 2,142,052 Harter Dec. 27, 1938 2,338,285Harry Jan. 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,499 Germany July 15, 1903 415,215Germany June 16, 1925

